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ID #SA1192957
FOR SALE
£1,750
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Tortoise Shell Tea Caddy Circa 1750’S
For sale by Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton
for sale €2,048     $2,223
£1,750
Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton

Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton

Sellingantiques Verified Since Sep 2017
Browse dealers 222 items
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Id #SA1192957
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Tortoise Shell Tea Caddy Circa 1750’S

18th century
Description

Good quality and shaped caddy, note the four columns to each side quite rare, circa 1750’s, not perfect but almost, sizes are as follows, length 19 cm height 15 cm depth being 12 cm, all measurements to the nearest centimetre, offering free delivery UK on this most desirable caddy, reference BBS Tel: +44 7505 165 843 We accept online payments for all our items listed: Bank transfer cash on collection personal cheques or if wishing over the phone using your debit or credit cards, also doing layby payments plan, or email giving your address details & contact number and we shall send you your items invoice to make payment with your card. Send your request to - john.strong2@gmail.com

Physical Dimensions
Height
15cm (5.91")
Width
19cm (7.48")
Depth
12cm (4.72")
Declaration

Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton has dated this Georgian Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy to the 1750s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1192957
Dealers Internal Reference
FRC
Description
Good quality and shaped caddy, note the four columns to each side quite rare, circa 1750’s, not perfect but almost, sizes are as follows, length 19 cm height 15 cm depth being 12 cm, all measurements to the nearest centimetre, offering free delivery UK on this most desirable caddy, reference BBS Tel: +44 7505 165 843 We accept online payments for all our items listed: Bank transfer cash on collection personal cheques or if wishing over the phone using your debit or credit cards, also doing layby payments plan, or email giving your address details & contact number and we shall send you your items invoice to make payment with your card. Send your request to - john.strong2@gmail.com
Height
15cm (5.91")
Width
19cm (7.48")
Depth
12cm (4.72")
Date of Manufacture

Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton has dated this Georgian Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy to the 1750s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1192957
Dealers Internal Ref
FRC
Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton
Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton
Sellingantiques verified Since Sep 2017
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton Profile Page

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An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon.
1 / 18
Archive I An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon.

Tortoise Shell Tea Caddy Circa 1750’S

Archive II An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View II
Archive III An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View III
Archive IV Scale Reference for An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon.
Archive V An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View V
Archive VI An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View VI
Archive VII An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View VII
Archive VIII An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View VIII
Archive IX An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View IX
Archive X An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View X
Archive XI An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View XI
Archive XII An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View XII
Archive XIII An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View XIII
Archive XIV An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View XIV
Archive XV An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View XV
Archive XVI An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View XVI
Archive XVII An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View XVII
Archive XVIII An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon. View XVIII
Enlarged Archival View
Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton

Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton
Telephone 07505 165 843
Location
Nuneaton
Warwickshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/sover
Verified Since Sep 2017
Items For Sale 222
Items Sold 184
Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton
Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton
Verified Since Sep 2017
View Dealer Info
Location: Nuneaton, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/sover
Verified
Sep 2017
For Sale
222
Sold
184
An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon.
TORTOISE SHELL TEA CADDY CIRCA 1750’s
Ref: SA1192957
An eighteenth-century Georgian tortoiseshell tea caddy featuring a domed sarcophagus lid, corner pilasters, and a silver keyhole escutcheon.
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Scale Reference
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectTea Caddies
  • Period18th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialTortoiseshell, Wood, Silver, Bone
  • ColourMottled Amber & Brown
  • MotifsSarcophagus lid, Corner pilasters, Silver escutcheon, Bun feet
  • SizeH 15 cm (6 in) x W 19 cm (7 in) x D 12 cm (5 in)

This Georgian tea caddy dates from 1750 and follows a sarcophagus design executed in tortoiseshell, wood, silver, and bone, displaying a mottled amber and brown colour palette across its surfaces. The box includes a domed lid with a rectangular silver plaque on top, corner pilasters framing the front, a silver keyhole escutcheon at the centre of the split front doors, pale trim details, and small rounded bun feet supporting the base. Surface marks, minor edge wear, and visible grain variations indicate long-term age and use. Measuring 15 cm high, 19 cm wide, and 12 cm deep, the caddy sits suitably on a sideboard top in a living room, study, or hallway as a decorative display piece or storage container within a gentleman's library interior setting.

FAQs

During the eighteenth century, imported tea was a costly luxury in Britain, prompting elite households to store loose leaves in locked containers known as tea caddies. Artisans crafted these boxes using premium organic materials, including tortoiseshell veneer over timber frames, to signal social standing and protect the valuable contents.

Craftsmen flattened natural hawksbill turtle shell using heat and pressure, then glued thin translucent veneers onto carved wooden structures. Foil or coloured paper was frequently applied behind the shell to enhance its natural mottling before adding silver escutcheons, ivory stringing, and internal zinc or lead foil lining.

Authentic Georgian examples exhibit hand-cut jointing, uneven natural mottling under magnification, and signs of age-related shrinkage or slight distortion in the veneer. Silver escutcheons and plaques from this era typically display hand-engraved details rather than machine stamping.

Small decorative caddies serve as focal points when arranged on a sideboard top, bookshelf, or mantelpiece alongside contemporary artwork and ceramics. Their rich tortoiseshell tones complement both minimalist natural wood schemes and traditional layered decor.

Tortoiseshell requires a stable environment away from direct sunlight, heating radiators, and extreme moisture variations to prevent lifting or cracking. Dust gently with a soft microfibre cloth and apply specialized microcrystalline wax sparingly to maintain the surface condition.
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